Cablegate: Mali Blocks Taiwan Participation in Community Of

VZCZCXRO0166
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHBP #1316 3111028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071028Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8390
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0002

UNCLAS BAMAKO 001316

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

AF/W FOR DESK OFFICER JANE DENNISON
G FOR JOHN KACHTIK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TW ML
SUBJECT: MALI BLOCKS TAIWAN PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY OF
DEMOCRACIES MINISTERIAL

REF: STATE 151150

1. (SBU) Ambassador had several conversations with officials
at the Foreign Ministry about Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
(TFD) participation in the NGO portion of the Bamako
Community of Democracies ministerial. In a November 2
discussion, Dr. Oumar Makalou the coordinator of the civil
society portion of the Bamako ministerial, told the
Ambassador that Foreign Minister Ouane was aware of the
exclusion of the two TFD members, and had told Makalou that
the Malian government would neither invite nor issue visas to
any participant holding a Taiwan passport.

2. (SBU) After lower level officials professed no knowledge
of the matter, in a meeting November 5 on a number of issues
with Foreign Minister Ouane, Ambassador made the points in
reftel, and asked Ouane to reconsider the case of the two TFD
participants. In reply, Ouane noted that the convening group
meetings in Washington had managed many difficult issues
regarding participation at the Bamako ministerial, and the
TFD case fell into this category. He added that
participation from Taiwan was a very sensitive matter for the
Government of Mali, and in the end, Mali agreed to include
the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy as a participating
organization in the NGO summit, but to exclude anyone
carrying a Taiwan passport. We note from reftel that one of
the proposed TFD participants is an American citizen.

3. (SBU) Comment: Although FM Ouane agreed to &reflect
further8 on this issue, we do not believe the Malians will
reconsider the decision to exclude Drs. Lin and Yang. China
is an increasingly important development partner for the
Government of Mali, and in the end, this relationship trumps
any cloud that may hang over the Bamako ministerial as a
result of the exclusion of participants from Taiwan.
McCulley

© Scoop Media